Jerry Harris, the breakout star of this year’s Texas-set documentary show Cheer, faces the very serious child porn charge of production of child pornography following his arrest and a court appearance in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 17.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Harris, 21, appeared in U.S. District Court in Chicago Thursday after his arrest at his home in the suburb of Naperville, IL, earlier in the day. In court he was ordered to remain in custody pending another hearing set for Monday. His defense attorney plans to argue for his release.
The FBI raided Harris’ home earlier in the week.
The criminal complaint filed in federal court accuses Harris of “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.” The alleged victim was 13 years old at the time.
The charge of production of child pornography stems from months of alleged social media interaction on Snapchat between Harris and underage boys whom he allegedly urged to send him nude photos and videos, allegedly even paying one boy to do so.
The federal complaint lists five minors who allegedly had sexual contacts with Harris, including two who contacted law enforcement officials and were interviewed earlier in the week of his arrest. However, the criminal complaint against Harris in federal court is for one count of production of child pornography.
If convicted of that charge, under federal child porn laws Harris could face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison – even as a first-time offender.
Harris also faces a civil lawsuit which was filed in Texas this week by two teenagers who accused him of “sexual harassment, exploitation, manipulation, intimidation and sexual abuse.”
The issue of online solicitation and the exploitation of minors is not unique to any one case. In a similar matter, Winston Nguyen, a former Houston man, has been charged with nearly a dozen felony counts for posing as a teenage boy on Snapchat and soliciting explicit content from students at elite schools in Brooklyn.
State child porn laws also can apply
A person can be charged with child porn offenses under state law as well as federal law. Texas law also prohibits producing child pornography. It also prohibits possession, receiving or promoting/distributing child pornography, as well as online solicitation of a minor.
Under Texas child porn laws, production of child pornography is a third-degree felony with punishments of two to 10 years in state prison and/or a fine of as much as $10,000. If the minor involved was below age 14, the charge becomes a second-degree felony with punishments of two to 20 years in state prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
These Texas child porn punishments aren’t quite as severe as what Harris faces under federal law, but they are still extremely serious.
Harris’ rapid rise and fall
For Harris, this year has marked a rapid rise and fall.
The documentary series Cheer followed a competitive cheerleading squad of students at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX, about 60 miles southeast of Dallas along I-45. As perhaps the show’s most enthusiastic cheerleader, Harris became a big focus of the series, which was released on Netflix on Jan. 8.
As the Tribune reported, Harris’ popularity from the show led to national acclaim and made him a celebrity of sorts. He worked the Oscars red carpet in February as a correspondent for Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show; shared a stage with Oprah Winfrey; appeared in a sketch on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; and recently received a surprise virtual visit from actress Gabrielle Union, who lavished praise on him.
Since the January premiere of Cheer’s six one-hour episodes on Netflix, Harris amassed over 1.2 million Instagram followers. He also signed partnership deals with various products and brands. One of them, Schmidt’s deodorant company, said Thursday that its partnership with Harris has ended.
In reality show categories, Cheer received six Emmy nominations this year, including a nomination for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. Though the Emmy telecast was not scheduled until Sunday, Sept. 20, many of the multitude of nominated shows received awards early, and Cheer won two Emmys, for directing and picture editing.
Get an experienced child porn defense lawyer
As you can see, the kind of charge Harris faces, as well as other charges involving child pornography, are very serious matters which can bring severe punishments. But not everyone who’s snared in the nets of zealous law officers is guilty of the crime or deserves the extreme punishments society imposes for sex crimes involving minors.
It is vital for anyone who faces such a charge to get an experienced child porn defense lawyer. If you or a family member face a child porn charge in Texas – as a state charge, a federal charge or both – contact us at the Neal Davis Law Firm and protect your legal rights.
Whether you live in Houston, Conroe, The Woodlands, Sugar Land or elsewhere in Harris County, Montgomery County or Fort Bend County, your Houston child pornography attorney can fight for your legal rights at every step of the process. Contact us today to schedule a consultation for your case.
